*** OMT Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland, Saturday 7th December KO 17:30***

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

That might be the letter of the law, but the currently accepted and enforced interpretation of it is different.

If the letter of the law was followed very closely defenders could benefit massively by having their arms out from their bodies to "accidentally" block the ball without intentionally handling the ball. John Terry was an expert at throwing himself into blocks with his arms outstretched and gained clear advantages at times even though he didn't "intentionally handle it".

That's where the 'unnatural position' comes into it.

Trying to block, whilst grounded with outstretched arms would certainly fall into that category.

But you use your arms for leverage to jump, so for arms to be in the air just prior to leaving the ground would be natural.

 

[SteveAWOL]

And I think on my last para Dubai may come back and say 'if we go for the game from the off against bigger sides, why not do it against the smaller teams' and it's simply because this strategy I'm advocating has a plan for the smaller teams but also gives us a good chance of competing against the bigger ones too. I think it's much better to be cleverer against the smaller teams to allow us to take points from the bigger teams that will be around us, rather than everyone patting us on the back for how we can destroy Norwich only to then limply concede an away game to Hull without putting up a real fight.

At the end of last season, the fact that we were able to take points at different times off of Man United, Emirates Marketing Project, Arsenal and Chelsea massively helped us get near to them. It doesn't mean we don't want to win the games against the smaller teams too, just that the plan is a bit different then.

I can understand the logic from the perspective of keeping the players physically as close to 100% as is possible but wouldn't there be a psychological benefit to blitzing a team like Norwich at home (as ARSEnal, City and Liverpool did) in that more of the forward players get on the score sheet which improves their confidence and thus makes them less likely to fire blanks in subsequent games (as we did against Wet Spam and Saudi Sportswashing Machine) even if they are in slightly worse physical condition?

 

[Jordinho]

I can understand the logic from the perspective of keeping the players physically as close to 100% as is possible but wouldn't there be a psychological benefit to blitzing a team like Norwich at home (as ARSEnal, City and Liverpool did) in that more of the forward players get on the score sheet which improves their confidence and thus makes them less likely to fire blanks in subsequent games (as we did against Wet Spam and Saudi Sportswashing Machine) even if they are in slightly worse physical condition?

I think that it's beneficial to play this way as much as possible at this stage so the players get used to it. There are of course other benefits to doing it differently.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I can understand the logic from the perspective of keeping the players physically as close to 100% as is possible but wouldn't there be a psychological benefit to blitzing a team like Norwich at home (as ARSEnal, City and Liverpool did) in that more of the forward players get on the score sheet which improves their confidence and thus makes them less likely to fire blanks in subsequent games (as we did against Wet Spam and Saudi Sportswashing Machine) even if they are in slightly worse physical condition?

I don't think it matters too much to be honest, I think there is a certain psychological element in football but I feel it's overplayed, and too often people use it as the explanation when they don't know what else to attribute something to.

If the players know they are playing in a controlled way, their confidence shouldn't be tied to how many goals they score. It should be tied to how many points we pick up. It didn't hurt our consistency away from home last year by having Bale as the main focal point. I think West Ham was a bad day at the office and Saudi Sportswashing Machine an unlucky one. Finishing is a concern based on yesterday but if I look back to 11/12 I certainly was not happy with the amount of blanks we fired in the second half of that season, despite smashing a fair few times in the early few games.

 

[SteveAWOL]

I don't think it matters too much to be honest, I think there is a certain psychological element in football but I feel it's overplayed, and too often people use it as the explanation when they don't know what else to attribute something to.

If the players know they are playing in a controlled way, their confidence shouldn't be tied to how many goals they score. It should be tied to how many points we pick up. It didn't hurt our consistency away from home last year by having Bale as the main focal point. I think West Ham was a bad day at the office and Saudi Sportswashing Machine an unlucky one. Finishing is a concern based on yesterday but if I look back to 11/12 I certainly was not happy with the amount of blanks we fired in the second half of that season, despite smashing a fair few times in the early few games.

I can understand defenders and midfielders benefiting from this energy efficient based approach to games but for a striker to go hours on end without finding the back of the net (as Soldado and Defoe have done in the EPL this season) appears to make them snatch at shots that they would otherwise find a corner of the goal with (as Bale kept on doing once he hit that exceptional run of scoring form) which is why I'd like to see us turn the screw occasionally when we are facing cannon fodder (like Norwich at home) in order to take the pressure off of our strikers by giving them some easy goals.

Imho the poor run of form during the tail end of the 11/12 season had more to do with the psychological impact of Redknapp being linked with the England manager' vacancy than the players having over expended themselves physically during the first half of the season.

 

[Rorschach]

I'm just watching the 2nd half again and we are even better than I remembered. Easily our best 45 min of the season and a template for future matches I hope.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I can understand defenders and midfielders benefiting from this energy efficient based approach to games but for a striker to go hours on end without finding the back of the net (as Soldado and Defoe have done in the EPL this season) appears to make them snatch at shots that they would otherwise find a corner of the goal with (as Bale kept on doing once he hit that exceptional run of scoring form) which is why I'd like to see us turn the screw occasionally when we are facing cannon fodder (like Norwich at home) in order to take the pressure off of our strikers by giving them some easy goals.

Imho the poor run of form during the tail end of the 11/12 season had more to do with the psychological impact of Redknapp being linked with the England manager' vacancy than the players having over expended themselves physically during the first half of the season.

I used to really agree that the England thing was the reason for our poor form. I was sure of it. But then I look at other examples - e.g. Moyes not signing a new contract and having it run down to the end of the season and how it didn't harm Everton last year. Or Rafa Benitez as the Interim Manager winning the Europa League and getting them third. I'm sure there are examples of clubs knowing their manager is leaving at the end of the season and hitting bad form but to me it's not conclusive enough to say that was the reason. Some will say it was, some will say it wasn't, but it's not a very tangible reason.

I do see where you are coming from on the striker point. Soldado's chance against Man United is a good example. But it's tough to know...did he feel under pressure at that point because he wasn't scoring or because the team had just lost 6-0 and needed the points? We won't really know. Defoe missed last night but he's been missing chances all season after getting supposedly confidence boosting goals in the Europa League.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I'm just watching the 2nd half again and we are even better than I remembered. Easily our best 45 min of the season and a template for future matches I hope.

Must be nice to watch it without the crushing inevitability that we would concede a late equaliser last night after all our chances...I was certainly fearing that.

 

[Mumorn]

Must be nice to watch it without the crushing inevitability that we would concede a late equaliser last night after all our chances...I was certainly fearing that.

I've never felt like that under AVB, that we'd concede a late equaliser. It happened in the first few games against WBA and Norwich early into his reign but we've rarely conceded late goals to be honest.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I've never felt like that under AVB, that we'd concede a late equaliser. It happened in the first few games against WBA and Norwich early into his reign but we've rarely conceded late goals to be honest.

Yeah to be fair it was more to do with the clear chances we were missing. Every one that went by added to the nervousness.

 

[Rorschach]

Must be nice to watch it without the crushing inevitability that we would concede a late equaliser last night after all our chances...I was certainly fearing that.

Actually you are not far off. I find that watching Spurs sometimes can be a little stressful. I think it is because we are nearly good. If we were really ****e or really good then I think it would be a lot easier, but just on the cusp amplifies the importance of everything or at least that is how i perceive it now. Versus Sunderland I was going...we're gonna regret that miss...that will come back to haunt us... same old spurs cant score when it matters...etc.

I find that watching the match again knowing the result gives a more objective view on things. It's far more enjoyable when I know we have won

 

[onlyme]

Actually you are not far off. I find that watching Spurs sometimes can be a little stressful. I think it is because we are nearly good. If we were really ****e or really good then I think it would be a lot easier, but just on the cusp amplifies the importance of everything or at least that is how i perceive it now. Versus Sunderland I was going...we're gonna regret that miss...that will come back to haunt us... same old spurs cant score when it matters...etc.

I find that watching the match again knowing the result gives a more objective view on things. It's far more enjoyable when I know we have won

One of the most interesting facts I ever read was that 33 1/3 % of people go to the end of a book or a film to see what happens.

 

[DHSF]

One of the most interesting facts I ever read was that 33 1/3 % of people go to the end of a book or a film to see what happens.

They would have hated Prisoners then. ****in open ended ******** arghhhhhhhhh

 

[Lilywhite]

Went to the game yesterday, thought we were **** first half, our usual labouring selves but fair play we picked it up 2nd half and should have wrapped it up. Yet to see H/Ls. did Sandro handball it?

Walker MOTM. Sunderland are very bad.

COYS

 

[El Guepardo]

They would have hated Prisoners then. ****in open ended ******** arghhhhhhhhh

:ross: you really didn't like that ending, did you?

 

[El Guepardo]

One of the most interesting facts I ever read was that 33 1/3 % of people go to the end of a book or a film to see what happens.

I can't understand why anyone would want to know. If I know what's going to happen, that spoils the fun of what is yet to unfold.

 

[Spurs7891]

I can't understand why anyone would want to know. If I know what's going to happen, that spoils the fun of what is yet to unfold.

Forget about the fun. Can you handle the pressure ? Don't think many people can. Whenever I watch any recorded Spurs matches, I always end up knowing the result half way. Atleast that way you won't get upset too much if we didn't get a good result. Sometimes the pressure is too much to handle when watching Spurs matches.

 

[SteveAWOL]

I used to really agree that the England thing was the reason for our poor form. I was sure of it. But then I look at other examples - e.g. Moyes not signing a new contract and having it run down to the end of the season and how it didn't harm Everton last year. Or Rafa Benitez as the Interim Manager winning the Europa League and getting them third. I'm sure there are examples of clubs knowing their manager is leaving at the end of the season and hitting bad form but to me it's not conclusive enough to say that was the reason. Some will say it was, some will say it wasn't, but it's not a very tangible reason.

I do see where you are coming from on the striker point. Soldado's chance against Man United is a good example. But it's tough to know...did he feel under pressure at that point because he wasn't scoring or because the team had just lost 6-0 and needed the points? We won't really know. Defoe missed last night but he's been missing chances all season after getting supposedly confidence boosting goals in the Europa League.

I suppose we'll never know for sure but imho Redknapp' shameless touting of himself for the England job had an impact on the players as they saw the headlines in the tabloids and on Sky Sports News every day plus it clearly infuriated Levy which they must've been aware of behind the scenes. On the other hand Moyes didn't really speak much in the press about his future and Kenwright allowed him to leave with his blessing after a decade' good service during which he'd taken the club as far as he could. Whilst the Chelsea players are used to Abramovich chopping and changing managers almost every season so Benitez' short lived reign was not something they are unaccustomed to.

Defoe has never quite been able to replicate his impressive scoring rate in cup competitions in the league but Soldado was bought to score 20+ for us in the Prem and any striker knows that he will be judged by how many goals he scores. So Roberto is no doubt acutely aware of the fact that it's been over a month since he last hit the back of the net, whilst his Spanish compatriot Negredo has banged in 12 goals for City already this season, thus his chances of making Spain' World Cup squad grow ever slimmer with each passing game that he continues to fire blanks.

I've never felt like that under AVB, that we'd concede a late equaliser. It happened in the first few games against WBA and Norwich early into his reign but we've rarely conceded late goals to be honest.

I remember us dropping points in the first 3 games of last season against Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Norwich and WBA due to late goals then had those painful reverses at Goodison...

Twitter / OptaJoe: 10 - Spurs have conceded 10 goals in the final 15 mins of their PL matches this season, a league high figure and 40% of their total. Late.

...plus Anfield in the winter but fortunately our defence appears to be dropping their clangers earlier on in recent games allowing the team plenty of time to regain the advantage.

 

[paxtonwolf]

I can't understand why anyone would want to know. If I know what's going to happen, that spoils the fun of what is yet to unfold.

Always remember asking my mum if she was going to watch Titanic at the Cinema. She said she was going to bother as she knew how it ended!!!!

 

[DHSF]

:ross: you really didn't like that ending, did you?

Absolutely ridiculous.

Its like taking a girl out listening to her ramblings for two and a half hours then not getting any at end of the night.